Improved compound projectile



S. S'A'WYER.

Patented Nov, 13, I855.

UNITED STATES PATENT. rricE.

S. SAVYER, OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED COMPOUND PROJECTILE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. E3599, dated November12, 1855.

To all w/wm it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SYLVANUS Sawvnn, of

'Fitchburg, in the county of "Worcester and State of Hassachusettahaveinvented an Improved BombShell; and I do hereby declare .with wings orguides to enter such grooves,

and so far therein that during the discharge of the piece the groovesmay impart to the shell a whirling or rotary motion on its axis,whichshall be maintained during its flight or course toward the object towhich it may be directed.

In applying to the external surface of conical or cylindro-conicalshells lead, when such shells have been made of cast-iron, it has beencustomary to cast the lead on the cylindrical surface of the shell, orthat part of it which during its passage through the bore of the gunwould be likely to rub against the same, the

vlead or softmetal having been applied as a protection to the gun, or asa means of not only preventing that wear or tear of it which wouldresult were the iron surface of the shell to be allowed to come incontact with the inside surface of the bore, but the bursting of thegun, which is liable to follow from the choking of it by the shell,where such friction or tearing of the bore is produced. Under thesecircumstances it has been found that, owing to the rapid passage offlame over the surface of the lead during'the movement of the shellthrough the bore, such lead will be instantaneously ripped or melted offthe shell, and consequently rendered useless for the purpose for whichit was applied thereto. I have endeavored to make a shell in such manneras to stop the passage of the flame by it, or prevent it from tearing ormelting off the antifrietion metal. For this purpose I so construct theshell and apply the anti-friction metalthereto that the force of theexplosion,

| acting in conjunction with the hard metal at the butt or rear end ofthe shell, shall expand a portion of such anti-friction metal, so as topress it firmly against the inner surface of the bore of the piece andcut off the passage of the flame by the shell or its leaden orantifriction coating. Furthermore, in order to fasten the anti-frictionmetal firmly to the cast-iron shell or body, I first coat the latterwith tin, or some metal which will have a stronger affinity for thecast-iron and the lead or anti-friction metal than the latter has forthe iron. This done, I cast on and around the metallic coating soappliedthe coating or case of lead or anti-friction metal. I also formthe rear part of the iron case or shell frusto-conical or tapering, andapply to such an extra thickness of anti-friction metal, which, when anexplosion of the charge of the gun takes place, shall force or crowd thesurplus antifriction metal up the conical or tapering surface joiningthe cylindrical body of the shell, the said surface serving to expandthe ring of metal on it, and cause it to fit closely to the bore of thegun, and so as to prevent windage, and the passage of flame by such ringto such extent as to tear or melt the anti-friction metal in advance ofthe ring. Besides the above, I extend the anti-friction metal beyond andaround the screwplug of the shell, and screw into it the explosive capof the shell, arranging such cap directly over the screwplug, and sothat when the shell is thrown against an obstacle point first itsmomentum shall compress the anti-friction or soft metal, so as to causeit to give way and let the explosive cap with force down, so as tocompress the percussion wafer or priming arranged on top of thescrew-plug or in the explosive cap, as the case may be.

In the drawings, A shows the cast-iron hollow body of theshell,which,when the projectile is used, is to be charged or loaded withpowder or other proper material, such body, generally speaking, beingformed eylindroconical, and provided with a screw-plug, B, and a seriesof helical wings, E E FEB 11 arranged as seen in the several figures.

O exhibits the covering of tin,while D shows the coating of lead oranti-friction metal, it being extended up above and around the screwplugB, and provided with a female screw, as

seen at (Z (Z in Figs. 1, 2, andet, such screw serving to receive a malescrew, 6 0, formed on the explosive cap F. The said cap F constitutes acover to the screw-plug B,which is provided with one or more vent-holes,ff, leading down through it. Above the top of the said plug, and betweenit and the cap F, or in the latter, the percussion priming or wafer isto be placed.

Under all ordinary circumstances the coinpressible anti friction metalsustaining the screw-cap F will retain it from being forced down uponthe priming, the cap being formed withashould'er, hh, to rest on themetal. \Vhen the shell is forced from the gun, the cap first comes incontact with the object fired at, and by such and the force or momentumof its flight will be driven down, so as to compress thepercussion-primin g and to cause an explosion of it, the holding metalyielding under the force of the impingement of the shell and sufferingthe explosive cap to so act. The wings E, as well as the body of theshell, are to be coated with the tin and anti-friction metal, whichshould also extend over the butt or rear end of the shell and itstapering part a a, as seen at b b in Fig. 3.

Previous to inserting the shell in the piece of ordnance a patch orcloth hood-or bag may be drawn over it, partially or wholly, so as toseparate its sides from the inside surface of the bore. A shellconstructed on the above plan has been found exceedingly effective inpreventing friction and wear of the gun and the consequent choking andbursting of it which might ensue, besides being of great advantage sofar as saving of ammunition is concerned.

At 1) b, Fig. 4, I have exhibited the annulus of lead or soft'metalextending around the ta pering. or conical part a a. of the cast-ironbody of the shell. Then the explosion of the charge of the gun takesplace, this annulus will be driven up the tapering part a a and expandedthereby, and so as to produce effects as stated.

1. Combining with the butt or flat rear end of the cylindro -conicaliron shell a layer of lead or softer metal than that of which the bodyof the shell is composed, and united or not to a layer of such metalextended around the sides of the shell, as described, the same operatingin manner as specified while the shell is being projected through thebore of a gun by a discharge of the powder therein.

2.' Making the rear part of the shell tapering or conical, as seen at aa, combining therewith a ring or annulus, b b, of lead orits equivalent,the same being substantially in manner and for the purpose ashereinbefore specified.-

8. Oonfining the explosive screw-cap to the. body of the shell by meansof asofter oryielding metal or casing, which, when the cap or shellshall strike an object, shall give way un-v der the force of the blowand let the cap down with force, so as to compress the percussion. waferor priming in it or on the main screw, stopper, or plug, and so as tocreate an explosion thereof, as stated.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my.

signature this 9th day of October, A. D. 1855.

SYLVANUS SAXVYER.

\Vitnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr.

